fake gentry

After the meal, it was already past noon.

Xi Zhong invited Ge Hong to play chess in his tent, with Xie Hong accompanying him. Xi Zhong lost three games in a row, but he was not discouraged at all. He then ordered his servants to prepare wine and brought out the poem about the waterfall that Xie Hong had written the day before to accompany the wine.

Xie Hong's gaze fell on the paper; the handwriting was deeply embedded in the paper, clearly Xi Xuan's handwriting.

Xi Zhong clapped his hands and laughed, "Lord Zhichuan, yesterday Feng Zhi recited this poem in front of the waterfall. It is called a landscape poem. In a few days, I will have it engraved on the cliff to make him famous. You can also appreciate it."

Ge Hong glanced at Xie Hong with a smile, then his gaze lit up as he looked at the silkworm cocoon paper: "Good calligraphy, good poem."

Xi Zhong was immediately delighted and instructed his servant to summon Xi Xuan and Xi Yin to pay their respects to Ge Hong.

Today, Xi Xuan changed into a sky-blue robe with very pale yellow trim on the cuffs and collar, and a silver hairpin trembled gently at her temples.

Xi Yin was overjoyed to see Xie Hong and immediately abandoned her sister to rush to his side: "Brother Xie, are we roasting rabbit again today?"

Xie Hong laughed and said, "There's something even tastier than roasted rabbit today."

Xiao Xi Yin immediately swallowed, her face beaming with excitement.

After bowing to Ge Hong, Xi Xuan knelt down to the side, quiet and composed, but her eyes kept glancing at Xie Hong out of the corner of her eye.

She had insomnia last night.

It wasn't that she fell in love with Xie Hong at first sight; rather, she developed an inexplicable competitive spirit towards him.

Why do you play the piano better than me?

Xi Zhong glanced at Xi Xuan, then suddenly rose from his seat and bowed respectfully to Ge Hong: "Zhichuan, please read my daughter's face."

Xie Hong was taken aback, and Xi Xuan also looked at Xi Zhong with some surprise, while Ge Hong seemed to be used to it.

Is he good at reading faces?

meeting.

Moreover, this is one of his standard skills; Director Wang and Sima Rui have also asked him to perform face readings.

Ge Hong's mentor was Zheng Yin, whose ancestor was Ge Xuan, who in turn studied under Zuo Ci.

Who was Zuo Ci?

The most extraordinary person in the Three Kingdoms period, a top-level alchemist in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, who could command ghosts and gods, perform transformations, and practice fasting, made Cao Cao, the King of Wei, both hate and fear him, yet helpless against him.

Therefore, Ge Hong's skills in physiognomy, observing aura, and knowing destiny were all passed down from Zuo Ci.

Ge Hong's gaze lingered on Xi Yin for a moment before shifting to Xi Xuan's face.

He looked at Xi Xuan for about five breaths, and Xi Xuan, feeling a little embarrassed, lowered her eyes slightly.

After examining her for a moment, Ge Hong slowly said, "Young lady, your bone structure is extraordinary, your forehead is full, your nose bridge is prominent, and your philtrum is deep and long, indicating that you are intelligent and talented..." He paused, his gaze sweeping over Xi Xuan's face again, and shook his head slightly: "Forgive my bluntness, young lady, you are exceptionally talented, but your excessive intelligence also makes you arrogant..."

Xi Xuan was stunned.

Very accurate.

Xie Hong suddenly burst out laughing, immediately drawing everyone's attention.

Xi Zhongqi asked, "What is Fengzhi laughing at?"

"No, it's nothing," Xie Hong waved his hands repeatedly.

After listening to Ge Hong's words, he suddenly thought of something.

This girl is indeed proud, strong-willed, and unwilling to admit defeat.

After marrying Wang Xizhi, she greatly admired Xie Daoyun, a talented woman from the Xie family, feeling that Xie Daoyun was just like her. Therefore, she was determined to have her son, Wang Ningzhi, marry Xie Daoyun. However, Xie Daoyun was fifteen years younger than Wang Ningzhi, so she insisted that Wang Ningzhi wait until he was twenty-seven years old before marrying her.

Later, Xie Daoyun debated behind the screen, refuting Wang Ningzhi and Wang Huizhi, and was ridiculed for being inferior to Xie Daoyun's two sons.

Xi Xuan was furious. When she got back, she angrily told her nephew Xi Chao, "I want to see who Xie Daoyun will marry in the future."

This incident perfectly illustrates her highly competitive nature.

Ge Hong looked at Xie Hong, raised an eyebrow slightly, and asked with a hint of inquiry in his tone, "Feng Zhi can also read faces?"

Xi Zhong was taken aback, and Xi Xuan couldn't help but look up at Xie Hong, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

Only Xiao Xiyin didn't understand and was still leaning against Xie Hong, preoccupied with what to eat that night.

Xie Hong certainly wouldn't do face reading.

But he's a cheater.

According to historical records, Xi Xuan gave birth to seven sons and lived to be over ninety years old.

In the Eastern Jin Dynasty, when the average lifespan was only forty or fifty years, living to over ninety was considered a rare longevity. And being able to have seven sons was, in any case, a model of many children and many blessings among the gentry of that time.

He glanced at Xi Xuan, then suddenly had a mischievous thought and said with a smile, "Mr. Zhichuan, I have read a few pages of a fragment of a book on physiognomy, but I don't know if it's accurate."

Ge Hong immediately became interested: "Tell me in detail."

Xie Hong coughed lightly and stared openly at Xi Xuan, scrutinizing her.

Yes, it really does look better the more you look at it.

The temperature in Lushan in May and June is not low. Xi Xuan was wearing a single layer of clothing, and her figure was clearly visible. In modern times, Xi Xuan would be a well-developed high school student.

"Ahem, those with rounded earlobes live long lives, and those with full earlobes are blessed. A young woman's earlobes hanging down are a sign of longevity, and a deep and long philtrum is a sign of many children. A young woman who possesses both of these qualities will surely live a long life and have many children."

Xi Xuan's face flushed red instantly. She glared at Xie Hong and gritted her teeth secretly.

This is a lecherous scoundrel!

Xi Zhong's eyes gleamed as he looked back and forth between Xie Hong and Ge Hong.

Ge Hong was silent for a moment, then sighed and said, "Feng Zhi is right. Your words are simple, but they are the essence of physiognomy."

He looked at Xie Hong with a somewhat complicated expression: "Feng Zhi predicts, how long will the young lady live?"

This is practically a free point question.

Anyone with a prominent reputation in this era could be told by Xie Hong how much longer they had to live if they appeared in front of him.

Don't ask why.

The answer is that I can read faces.

"If you ask me, this young lady looks like she could live to at least ninety."

Xi Zhong gasped upon hearing this, and the room fell into a deathly silence.

Living to ninety?

In this turbulent era where the average life expectancy was less than forty, what does it mean to live to ninety?

What a centenarian!

Throughout the entire Jin Dynasty, only Sima Fu and Liu Shi lived to be ninety years old. One was Sima Yi's younger brother, and the other was an important minister of the Western Jin Dynasty.

Ge Hong suddenly burst into laughter, clapping his hands and saying, "I also predicted that the young lady would live to eighty; Feng Zhi's physiognomy skills are no less than mine."

Xi Zhong was overjoyed: "Daughter, did you hear that? Both Ge Xianweng and Xie Langjun said you will live to a ripe old age. Hurry up and thank them."

Xi Xuan lowered her head and bowed respectfully to Ge Hong, saying softly, "Thank you, Lord Zhichuan." Then she turned her head slightly, glanced at Xie Hong with a strange look, and quickly looked away, her lips curving into a barely perceptible smile: "Thank you, Young Master Xie as well."

Xi Yin tugged at Xie Hong's sleeve and exclaimed, "Brother Xie, let me have my fortune told too!"

Xie Hong...

Can I say you're a weirdo?

Xi Yin was wealthy and filial but lacked political acumen. After Xi Jian died, he inherited the Northern Army. Huan Wen set his sights on the troops under his command, so he immediately wrote to Huan Wen excitedly, saying that he wanted to assist the royal family together and lead the troops on a northern expedition.

Unexpectedly, the letter fell into the hands of his son, Xi Chao. Xi Chao imitated his father's handwriting and rewrote it, saying that he was old and had no ambitions. He just wanted to find a place to retire and that the army should be handed over to the Grand Marshal.

Huan Wen was overjoyed and immediately transferred Xi Yin to be the Prefect of Kuaiji, thus seizing military power in Xu and Yan provinces and losing the Xi clan's base of support in Gaoping.

Later, when Xi Chao was seriously ill and dying, he gave a box of secret letters to his family, saying that if his father was too grieving, he should give this to him.

Xi Yin was indeed heartbroken, and when he opened the box, he found it full of letters from Xi Chao and Huan Wen plotting to usurp the throne.

Xi Yin was so angry that he vomited blood. He immediately stopped grieving and cursed the brat for dying too late!

Xi Zhong jokingly scolded Xi Yin, but then stared intently at Xie Hong, while Ge Hong also looked at him with a smile.

Xie Hong couldn't help but secretly groan.

I don't want to be a charlatan.